Contact centers and automatic contact distribution systems are generally known. Such systems are used whenever an organization must handle large numbers of contacts with clients of the organization.
In order to handle contacts with clients, the organization may employ a number of agents who are knowledgeable about the organization and its products and/or objectives. The organization may also provide a database of client information that is accessible by the agents to help the agents in addressing the concerns of clients.
The organization may also use an automatic contact distribution system to connect agents with clients. The automatic contact distribution system may handle both incoming an outgoing contacts. As contacts arrive, they may be assigned to agents based upon any of a number of different criteria (e.g., first available, best qualified, etc.).
In some systems, at least some agents may be assigned to initiating outgoing contact to clients while other agents receive incoming contacts. As loading increases, the number of incoming contacts may exceed the number of agents assigned to receiving incoming contacts and any extra incoming contacts may be placed in a contact queue. At some level, if the contact queue becomes too long, then the system may suspend outgoing contacts and assign some or all of the outgoing agents to answering incoming contacts.
The automatic contact distributor may also function to identify the clients to the agents in advance of contact delivery. The identification of clients may be accomplished by matching contact information (e.g., ANI, URL, etc.) of a contact with contact information from prior client interactions.
While such features have increased their effectiveness, agents still need extensive knowledge about the organization, the client database of the organization and the communication system over which contacts occur. Often a customer inquiry will require a search of the database for related information or transfer of the contact to a more knowledgeable agent.
In general, contact center agents can require extensive training and knowledge in order to rapidly respond to client issues and needs. With high agent turn-over and rapidly changing products and technologies, there is a need for ways of improving the ability of an agent to locate available options in dealing with the specifics of client contacts.